February 27th - March 8th,2026

A Message from Pastor Davis

Matthew 15:27 – “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” These are the words of faith, for faith means receiving what God gives. And God has given us so much more than just the crumbs that fall from the table — He has given us life, salvation, body and soul, eyes and ears, possessions and income. That’s where our stewardship starts: with faith in the God who is the greatest Giver.

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Dear Friends of The Ark,

Thank you for your faithful support of The Ark over the past 37 years. Because of the generosity of our supporting congregations, we have been able to remain a steady source of help and hope for our neighbors in need. We truly could not make the impact we do year after year without your partnership and support.

As the needs in our community continue to rise, so has the demand for The Ark’s services and programs. Over the past year, we have expanded our efforts by strengthening our eviction prevention, financial education, and lending programs, while also developing new initiatives to better support our neighbors. This growth has enabled us to serve more individuals and families in Athens and surrounding counties.

For more than 30 years, we have operated from our current location and have made it work through many seasons of growth. However, with the continued addition of programs and the increasing number of neighbors we are serving, The Ark has outgrown our current space. To meet the rising demand and support our expanding services effectively, we are now seeking a new location that can accommodate our growth and allow us to continue responding to the needs of our community in a welcoming and accessible environment.

With this growth in mind, we are prayerfully seeking new office space that will allow us to better meet the needs of our community. Ideally, we are looking for a space that includes:

·  Approximately four offices for staff and volunteers

·  A welcoming lobby or reception area

·  A classroom or meeting space for financial education session and community classes

·  Easy accessibility for neighbors with available parking /near bus line

We are reaching out to ask if your congregation, parish, or members of your faith community might know of available office space that could be shared or leased to The Ark. We are flexible regarding the type of facility and are happy to consider separate church buildings, repurposed residential offices, or traditional commercial spaces. Our main priority is ensuring our neighbors can reach us easily.

As a nonprofit, we operate with a very limited facilities budget. Our current rent is $3,600 per year, and we are hopeful to find a space that is similarly affordable or offered as a shared or in-kind arrangement if possible.

We are incredibly encouraged that our growth reflects the trust our neighbors place in us and the compassion of this community. A new space will allow us to serve more families facing housing instability and financial hardship.

If you know of any available space or would be open to discussing potential options, we would greatly appreciate any guidance or connections you may be able to share.

With sincere appreciation,

Lucy Hudgens

Executive Director

The Ark United Ministry Outreach Center

640 A Barber Street, Athens, GA 30601

706.353.3530

www.athensark.org

Christus Victor Lutheran Church and Student Center is looking for a part-time Administrative Assistant. For more information about the position, including a complete job description,

qualifications and contact information if you wish to apply, please visit the link below.

Thank you!



Job Info Here

March 1st - Husfelds

March 8th - Open

March 15th- Harry Bufford

March 22nd - BCS Voter's Meeting

March 29th - Elderberries

"PASTOR'S PANTRY" IS IN NEED OF THE FOLLOWING

* PASTOR’S PANTRY UPDATE *

from Gloria Black

February 2026

Thank you to all the people who have been donating items to the pantry. We have a good variety of items and groceries. We have served several different types of people. Homeless, partial independent, TLA students and families, teachers and staff. All food items need to be regular size or individual small and not too spicy. Contact Harry or Pastor Davis with any questions.

ITEMS NEEDED

Canned Vegetables: Corn, green beans, peas, lima beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, mixed vegetables, baked beans, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and evaporated canned milk.

Canned Fruit: All varieties

Canned Meats: Tuna, chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, chili, beef stew, vienna sausage, pork 'n' beans, ravioli, beef-a-roni, etc.

Canned Soup: All varieties ! We are low !

Boxed Meals: Hamburger helper, tuna helper, taco dinner,

pasta dinner, chili dinner, mac and cheese, etc.

Pasta Noodles: (not lasagna) Spaghetti, elbow, rotini,

wide egg noodles, ramen (have plenty right now).

Pasta Sauce: Red, white, taco sauce.

Cereals: Cheerios and other varieties, instant oatmeal,

instant grits.

Snacks: Crackers, cookies, chips, peanuts.

Other items: Packs of instant potatoes, rice, canned/jarred gravy, jelly/jam, honey, syrup, flour soft (taco/burrito) tortillas, plastic forks, spoons and knives, mayo, salt/pepper etc.

We do have a small freezer available for donations of 1lb.

ground beef packages, hot dogs, small frozen

vegetables packs, waffles, single packs of lunch meat.

Also, there is container for $1.00 cash donations for gas

cards and other needs. The basket located by the front door in the Gathering Room.

Just one small donation from each of us makes an impact on the life of someone else. Thank you to everyone for helping Pastor's Pantry.

Contact Pastor Davis or Harry if you have any questions.

We are still in need of volunteers to help with recording the 10:00 a.m. service. Please let Harry know if you are willing to learn.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is a culture of forming and recruiting pastors and commissioned church workers in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). SAS is asking for your help again this year as we strive to continually enhance our Synodwide efforts to supply our LCMS congregations, schools and entities with church workers for generations to come. Your responses are vitally important in this collaborative work. We would appreciate input from you and all the members of your congregation through a short online survey. 

Where do we get pastors who preach and care for us with God’s Word? Where do we get teachers who teach our children about Jesus in our Lutheran schools? Where do we get our directors of Christian education, deaconesses and directors of parish music? Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is partnering with our seminaries, Concordia universities, districts, congregations and many others to build a Synodwide culture of church work formation and recruitment.

You can contribute toward this effort by taking this brief online survey at lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve-survey. Please let us know how all of us can make SAS more beneficial to your congregation. It is important we hear what you have to say. The more responses we receive, the better equipped we can be as a Synod in our life together to raise up pastors and commissioned church workers for generations to come. We would very much appreciate receiving your responses by March 31. All responses are anonymous and confidential. Thank you so much for your time and for being part of Set Apart to Serve.

In Christ,

Rev. Dr. James A. Baneck

Executive Director

LCMS Office of Pastoral Education

james.baneck@lcms.org

“Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:38).

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Are You a Thrivent Member?

As a Thrivent member you may have Choice Dollars that can be directed to the organization of your choice.

Directing Choice Dollars is easy!

Visit thrivent.com/thriventchoice to learn more OR call 800-847-4836 and say "Thrivent Choice" after the prompt.

Please take a moment to direct your Thrivent Choice Dollars® to support the ongoing work of Trinity Lutheran Church.

THANK YOU, Thrivent members, for supporting TLC/TLA!

If you have any items you would like to donate, let us know and we can post them for you in the newsletter.

On behalf of our TLA team, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Suzanne Miller who has generously purchased gifts from our Amazon Wish List. Your kindness and support mean the world to us and make a real difference in the lives of the children we serve.

Each item you've donated helps us create a more enriching, joyful, and nurturing environment for our little ones. From educational toys to essential supplies, your gifts are already bringing smiles and blessings into our classrooms.

We are truly grateful for your continued love and support. Thank you for being such a vital part of our ministry and for helping us care for our children with such grace and generosity.

With gratitude,

The TLA Staff

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Trinity Lutheran Church

EDUCATION OFFERINGS 2026

SUNDAY

CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL: 9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Ages 3 to Grade 2 are taught by Celina Guven. Grades 3-6 are taught by Ruth Wietbrock. Both classes are now located in the new Sunday School room in the Pre-K building(room 5 furthest on the end).

(Middle and High School students to be added if interested.)

Save the date for our 2026 Vacation Bible School, June 8-12.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS: 9:00 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Led by Pastor Davis.

YOUTH CONFIRMATION CLASS: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the Pastor's office. They will be studying Luther's Small Catechism and the Bible.

SOLO DEO GLORIA: 2nd and 4th Sunday after the second service in the church library. Bring your own lunch and someone brings a dessert to share. Led by Virginia Reece. They will be studying the books of the Bible in order (beginning with Ecclesiastes.)

LWML: 1st Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

TABS (Tuesday Afternoon Bible Study) for women: 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Gathering room. Led by Deaconess Carol Schroeder.

TUESDAY’S CHILD: 2nd and 4th Tuesday each month at 7:00 p.m. Led by Bill Malueg at the Malueg residence in Watkinsville.

THURSDAY

FAMILY BIBLE STUDY: 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Led by Pastor Davis. Food will be provided.

RASCHKES’ FELLOWSHIP: 2nd and 4th Thursday each month at 7:00 p.m. Led by

Ron Raschke at the Raschke residence in East Athens. They will be studying "The Story" by Max Lucado, on hiatus during September, to resume in October until Thanksgiving. They will break for the holidays and resume again in January 2026.

SATURDAY

WaW (Wings and Word): Men's Bible Study. One Saturday a month (TBA) at 11:00-12:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Lunch will be served (bring a couple dollars or so to offset food expense). Led by Pastor Davis.

Shut In List

Here is a list of our brothers and sisters who are unable to venture from their home. Please consider sending them a card or encouraging note to remind them that they are loved.

Aluminum Can Recycling

This is a reminder that Trinity recycles aluminum cans (drink cans only). The receptacles are located in the fenced area behind the Fellowship Hall kitchen. You can’t miss it - there is a sign posted on the gate - just place your bagged cans (squash them if you can, but it’s ok if you can’t). Proceeds go to Trinity Youth Group.

Follow us online and on social media!

Website: Trinity-Athens.org

Instagram: @trinitylutheranchurch_athens

Facebook: @Facebook.com/tlcathens

YouTube: @trinitylutheranchurchacade4823/streams